Activision has registered 17 new domains that seem to suggest that the company is planning some sort of move to deliver the Call of Duty franchise to China in some form. The domains all have China in the title in some way, but Activision isn’t talking on what the plans could actually be.
The domains were registered on June 25th by the Internet brand protection company, MarkMonitor. Companies such as MarkMonitor specialize in protecting key IP branding that is used in domains from being acquired by companies other than the actual authorized owner. The process is actually becoming quite prevalent in many industries as companies struggle to protect their branding on the Internet from falling into the wrong hands.
While the move by Activision could be nothing more than a move to protect the brand, it could signal something else related to a move by Activision to bring COD to China in some way. Sources that we have spoken with seem confused by the move, but it would not be surprising if it is nothing more than an IP protection move.